coronavirus

Are Schools Prepared Should There be a Coronavirus Outbreak?

The San Diego County Office of Education says it is working with county and state health officials on how to handle coronavirus and is sharing information with school districts

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The San Diego County Office of Education (SDCOE) said parents are wondering if schools are prepared if there should be a major outbreak of the coronavirus in San Diego County.

"We're making plans to be prepared, that if it does happen here, we can be ready," said Music Watson with the San Diego County Office of Education.

Watson said SDCOE has been working closely with public and state health officials to monitor the information and share it with school districts.

We're still working out the details, but we do want to make sure all our community is informed about the situation and making decisions based on information, not fear.

Music Watson, San Diego County Office of Education

Watson said this is not entirely new.

"We are looking back at what we did with H1N1, SARS, and with regular influenza, and constantly working on updating our plans and our policies," Watson said.

The SDCOE sent a letter to superintendents in the county with suggestions to consider when developing a plan for coronavirus.

Among the considerations: staffing, if people call in sick, monitoring students who become ill, even what to do if the centralized cafeteria cannot deliver lunches to students.

"Everything, from when the bell rings, and all the things that go on behind the scenes have to be considered," said Watson.

In this case, the SDCOE is also working with public health officials about whether schools should have masks on hand.

"' If you have students who are coughing, would it make sense to have that?' Those are the conversations we are having with public health officials," said Watson. "' How many (masks) should schools have?' 'What kinds of masks should they have to be most effective?'"

With spring break around the corner for schools, Watson said districts could consider informing families about travel advisories issued by the state department and maybe even asking families to inform schools if they travel to those places.

"We're still working out the details, but we do want to make sure all our community is informed about the situation and making decisions based on information, not fear," said Watson.

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